Washington Sheriff Calls Deputy’s Slaying ‘The Worst Incident’ in His Career
By: Donald W. Meyers, officer.com
ELLENSBURG, Washington – Calling it “the worst incident” in his law-enforcement career, Kittitas County Sheriff Gene Dana said Deputy Ryan Thompson, 42, was fatally shot Tuesday night following a pursuit of a man involved in a road-rage incident.
“Last night was the worst incident in my 45-plus years in law enforcement, and something a sheriff or police chief hopes never happens on their watch,” said Dana at a news conference at the Kittitas Valley Event Center Wednesday morning.
Thompson was married with three children. He was born and raised in Walla Walla and graduated from Central Washington University. He started his career as a reserve deputy in 2004 and served as a corrections officer prior to becoming a police officer with CWU Police Department in 2007, according to the sheriff’s office. He returned to the Sheriff’s Office in December 2013.
